ATLANTA — There won’t be any sugar falling from the sky for the Georgia football team this bowl season, but how about some bloomin’ onion?

The Bulldogs are heading to the Outback Bowl in Tampa, Fla., to play Michigan State on Jan. 2 at 1 p.m. on ABC in a game matching a pair of 10-3 teams.

It’s a homecoming for Bulldogs quarterback Aaron Murray and tight end Orson Charles, teammates at Plant High School in Tampa.

“It should be fun,” Murray said after Georgia’s Southeastern Conference championship loss to LSU about the prospect of playing at home.

Murray said he’s attended the Outback Bowl before.

Georgia was eyeing a trip to the Sugar Bowl, but its 42-10 loss to No. 1 LSU dropped the Bulldogs’ down the bowl pecking order.

After trips to lower-tier Liberty and Independence Bowls the past two seasons, this trip to Florida is a step up for the 18th-ranked Bulldogs.

“I’m really excited for our team and especially our seniors with the opportunity to play in the Outback Bowl, which is one of the premier January bowl games,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said. “We were fortunate to play in this game back in 2005 and had a terrific experience. This will be the first time the members of our team have the opportunity to play in Tampa, and playing a top-quality opponent like Michigan State will be a challenge we’ll look forward to.”

Michigan State is the higher-ranked team in the polls.

The Spartans are 12th in the Associated Press poll. The Bulldogs, however, finished 16th in the BCS standings, a spot ahead of the Spartans.

Georgia-Michigan State is a rematch of the Capital One Bowl after the 2008 season, a game the Bulldogs won, 24-12.

Michigan State lost the inaugural Big Ten championship game, 42-39, to Wisconsin on Saturday in Indianapolis. The Spartans beat Michigan and Wisconsin — teams headed to BCS bowls — in back-to-back games in October. Their losses were at Notre Dame, 31-13, and Nebraska, 24-3.

It will Georgia’s fourth time playing in the Outback Bowl. The Bulldogs are 3-0, with their last appearance on Jan. 1, 2005, a 24-21 win over Wisconsin in the final college game for David Pollack, David Greene and Thomas Davis.

“It’s a great destination for our student athletes and our fans — warm weather, wonderful attractions, a first-class stadium, and we look forward to competing against a great Michigan State team,” athletic director Greg McGarity said. “Our fans have been a big part of our success this season and I’m confident they will support the team with their attendance in this bowl game.”

The Outback Bowl matches a pair of top-five defenses.

Georgia is third (268.5 yards per game) and Michigan State is fifth (272.7).The Spartans led the Big Ten in total defense sacks and rushing defense.

Spartans quarterback Kirk Cousins is 16th in the nation in passing efficiency. He has passed for 3,016 yards, with 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions this season.

Michigan State has lost its last five bowl games, including its last game against an SEC team when it was crushed by Alabama, 49-7, in the Capital One Bowl last season.

Spartans coach Mark Dantonio and Georgia defensive coordinator Todd Grantham were defensive assistant coaches together for three seasons from 1996-98 under Nick Saban at Michigan State.

Notes

Tickets for the Outback Bowl are $75 and can be ordered at georgiadogs.com or by calling 1-877-542-1231. ... Keith Marshall, rated as the No. 1 running back by a recruiting service, had a home visit from Georgia coaches Sunday, the Raleigh, N.C., prospect posted on his Twitter feed earlier in the day. He is set to announce his choice Tuesday. Georgia and Clemson are among his top picks.